The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 149
149fury.
====================================
Today, what should we pay most attention to in order to maintain influence and power??
“……It may sound like a snob, but it's definitely about image. And maybe, it's the issue we need to worry about the most..”
Edward Woods, master of the great guild, defined it this way:.
Even if you are a politician with the right to rule a country, even if you are the head of a company that collects the world's money, even if you are the strongest player with overwhelming force, you will never be treated well if your image is ruined..
"An image is a product. If it is not good, you will be disadvantaged and may gradually be left out..
Stipe Marin, the second-in-command of , who was listening to that, nodded..
“……In the future, our position will decrease and we will be pushed out of priority when bidding to target gates..”
chin—
Edward Woods put his tablet PC down on the desk rather nervously..
A news article appeared on the screen, and the headline was…….
- Players' Magazine lowers Slayers Guild's overall evaluation by 14 points to 64 points, following the Steele Rain disaster?
‘'Players' is an American media company that had considerable influence in the player world..
There, the value of the Slayers Guild was downgraded. The reason is that he attracted too much public attention before conquering the dragon, but was defeated by Steelaine and lost his image as a unique dragon slayer. And they even branded it with the so-called ‘Steel Rain Disaster’..
As such, it was no exaggeration to say that the future vision of the Slayers Guild was bound to become unclear..
"Still, if you conquer this labyrinth well, you will be able to wash away some of your past defeats.……."
With that intention, Edward Woods provoked Steele Lane..
Even though it may be a bit far-fetched, his name is brought up and the competition begins once again..
If we win here, we can safely say that the result is 1 to 1..
A few hours later, news arrived that Steele Rain was planning to conquer the Paldalsan Mountain Labyrinth..
- [Breaking News] Are you conscious of competition with Slayers? Steele Rain will enter Paldal Mountain tomorrow..
"Well, it looks like Steele Lane is in a hurry to start conquering the labyrinth.?”
Amanda Anderson said that while watching a news article on her smartphone..
“……Well, eventually you'll end up stuck like us, in front of the last room..”
And just like them, I would get three hints and leave in vain..
"So, is information about ‘qualified persons’ being gathered well??”
When Edward Woods asked, an adjutant stood up from the strategy table on one side of the suite..
"yes! Dozens of guilds are sending us information, so we'll soon be able to pinpoint a target.!”
Yesterday, at a press conference, Edward Woods asked the Korean community for help in finding one player, while also promising huge compensation. Then, in this country alone, 21 private guilds and even several government agencies proposed cooperation and were now receiving all kinds of information..
Proof of this phenomenon was that there were many people in Korea who disliked Steele Rain..
‘Okay, let's keep it this way. We'll soon find the key to break through that final door..’
Edward Woods was still somewhat anxious, but he still expected to win this time..
And about an hour later, the long-awaited news finally arrived..
“—Boss, level 71 paladin player, found.!”
At the adjutant's shout, Edward Woods, who was standing by the window, turned around..
"is it so? Where did the contact come from??”
"Mr. Hwang, that's him.!”
Mr. Hwang, he was an executive of a Korean government agency..
He was a representative of the Korean government that had requested Edward Woods to conquer Dragon..
"He'll be here in person right now..”
And a while later, a group of suits visited the Slayers' suite..
“Haha— hello?”
The middle-aged man who came in with a cheerful greeting was Director Hwang Yeon-soo, known as ‘Mr. Hwang’..
He unbuttoned his jacket and sat down on the sofa in front of Edward Woods..
"Well, I looked it up and found that there was a level 71 paladin from AMT called Seo Eun-ha. It's perfect, right? There is no way there are two people on the Korean Peninsula who fit the conditions that DS mentioned so precisely..”
A level 71 paladin player in this land, he was the key to the final door of the labyrinth..
Edward Woods took a sip of coffee with as calm a look as possible, then opened his mouth..
“If you belong to AMT, how can Mr. Hwang be someone you can handle??”
"that… … There is one problem, that woman is related to Lee Hyun-wook..”
At that point, Edward Woods' composure cracked and his eyebrows twitched..
“Haha—what are you so surprised about? No need to worry. Well, no matter what their relationship is, aren't they soldiers anyway? If you criticize it from above, you should criticize it. The one direct general over there is our line..”
Edward Woods nodded. He was trustworthy enough to come out like that..
“okay. Still, I would like to go to him in person and persuade him in person..”
“yes? Is there really a need for the Dragon Slayer to move it himself??”
"No matter how much we can handle, we must show sincerity to those who help us..”
“Hahaha— As expected, you have great manners, perhaps because you come from a country of gentlemen.!”
This was a serious matter that depended on the fate of the Slayers, and could never be dealt with lightly. Rather than unconditionally securing the woman who was presumed to be the ‘qualified person’ through force, it was better to appease her..
‘You shouldn't make things complicated by hurting people's feelings for no reason..’
But, of course, that person is related to Steele Lane... … I couldn't help but be concerned..
"Anyway, if DS says so, I will talk to the general and have him build a bridge..”
At his call, Lieutenant General Jeong Sang-sik, commander of the Seoul Operation Command, flew in a military helicopter as if on a five-minute standby..
"No, Commander, is it okay for you to fly in like this when you have the respect of a general??”
"Oh my— our Director Hwang is calling, how could I not come running??”
Edward Woods boarded the helicopter with them and immediately went to where Seo Eun-ha was..
Doo doo doo doo——
The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Port Horse Brigade at Namsan arrived like that… … The battalion commander, Kang-seok Kim, was in front of the helicopter port..
"Loyalty— Commander, what is this?……."
He was in a state of bewilderment as he had rushed out of his official residence after receiving a sudden call..
"Uh, Kim Kang-seok, you probably know who these people are.?”
A little distance away, Edward Woods and his group were looking at us..
“……yes, i know very well.”
Kim Kang-seok's expression as he looked at them couldn't have been good. It was already a well-known fact that he had a close relationship with Lee Hyun-wook. Jeong Sang-sik patted his shoulder and nodded somewhere..
"Hey, Kim Kang-seok, take care of your facial expressions well! This is an opportunity for you too. Do you see that guy in the suit over there??”
I saw a middle-aged man slowly getting off the helicopter. He looked this way and grinned..
“Yes, isn’t it Director Hwang Yeon-soo of the Guild Support and Cooperation Office??”
“Yeah, and… … I am the next head of the National Gate Response Strategy Office..”
In other words, it meant that they would bring down Chief Woo Seong-moon..
"ah……."
"why? I don't think it will work?”
"......."
It was soon the presidential election, and Oh Tae-moon, head of the Guild Support and Cooperation Office, was considered a strong presidential candidate..
This was thanks to the ‘image’ that was gradually built up through close relationships with numerous private guilds..
And as always, those in power were wary of Woo Seong-moon's enormous authority..
Even so, once he took power, he realized that he couldn't do it without his abilities..
However, if a president who was a player was born, there would be no need for Woo Seong-moon..
‘In particular, Otaemun has been building a close relationship with private guilds for a long time. One of the reasons they are pushing Oh Tae-moon is to further expand their influence by removing Woo Seong-moon, who is a thorn in their eyes.…….'
It seemed that Woo Seong-moon's chain, which had been controlling and controlling large private guilds, was gradually cracking..
Above all, the guilds' opposition grew stronger because of the fact that the entire guild had been blown up. Since the exact details of what happened could not be revealed to the public, in their eyes, it seemed like Woo Seong-moon's attempt to tame the guild..
‘Ha—you've been blocking so many threats, but you're still festering inside.……."
Kim Kang-seok could barely suppress the deep sigh that burst out from inside him..
However, Jeong Sang-sik clicked his tongue as if the unpleasant feelings were visible on his face..
"You better decide where to hold the line, man! Surely, just because a guy like Lee Hyun-wook is doing well, you don't expect him to do anything in the future, right? Think about it carefully. That bastard… … I'm destined not to live long.”
He said that and smiled meaningfully..
But what does this mean when you say you are destined not to live long??
“……yes? Commander, what did you just say??”
"what? What did I mean by that? It's just a joke.”
He tapped Kim Kang-seok's thick shoulder and then spoke as if admonishing him..
"That bastard, do you know how many enemies you have? I tried to make him look good and make him pretty, but what happened in the end? You were suddenly discharged from the military, right? It's a world where it wouldn't be strange if a weak-willed guy who stabs someone in the back like that gets killed by someone right away. They're making such a fuss... … Who would have noticed?”
“And it's dangerous to put too much power in the hands of a young bastard. So far, I've been good at performing tricks, but that's only possible because I have a monopoly on everything! Kim Kang-sik, don’t be fooled..”
Kim Kang-seok had a bad intuition at that point..
'……It was said that some forces in the country are converging on the idea that Laputa should be nationalized..’
I had previously heard from Director Woo Seong-moon that there was such a movement in the political and business world..
“Big— Okay, anyway, I guess I should explain why we came here today.?”
Jeong Sang-sik smiled mechanically again and brought Kim Kang-seok to Edward Woods..
"that… … General Seo’s second daughter, Captain Seo, is probably in the compound right now.?”
At that point, Kim Kang-seok realized what their intentions were..
‘I knew it… … As Lee Hyun-wook said, Seo Eun-ha is needed to conquer the labyrinth.?'
When I realized that, it became funny how they were talking triumphantly..
Lee Hyun-wook had already predicted this dastardly move and hinted at it yesterday..
‘Ha— these things only have their mouths, so in the end they can't even reach Lee Hyun-wook's toes.?’
Kim Kang-seok grinned and slowly shook his head..
"This is so... … Sorry, Captain Seo is away..”
"Oh yeah? hmm… … It's probably not a vacation, but it's an attack operation.?”
"Yes, we are involved in a very important operation, so it will likely take some time..”
Edward Woods and Jeong Sang-sik opened their mouths one after another with disappointed expressions..
"If so, can you tell me what operation it was deployed in??”
"Yes, I think I should entrust Captain Seo with a more important mission than that.!"
Kim Kang-seok responded to that urging with an expression that seemed like he couldn't do it..
“……That's a pretty important operation, so it'll be on TV soon..”
***
Two hours before the start of the labyrinth attack, Lee Hyun-wook received a call from team leader Lee Kyo-jun..
- We are continuously tracking players who recently entered the country from abroad, and we have also deployed a number of sniper teams near Paldalsan Mountain. If an attack occurs, our teams will respond quickly..
"Yes, thank you.”
Lee Hyun-wook's security was the most important issue within the National Gate Response Strategy Office and the Black Swan..
Wouldn't the day of this official action be the best day for an assassination attempt??
Since there were more than one male and female targeting Lee Hyeon-wook, the Black Swan did its best to protect him..
‘However, honestly, it is not possible to completely block the attack itself..’
No matter how hard I tried, I had no idea what kind of strange skills and items they would use to secretly approach me..
The best way to prevent something like that was for Lee Hyun-wook to become overwhelmingly stronger..
‘So that you can respond without difficulty in any emergency situation..’
And when he woke up this morning, he had grown even more..
- congratulations! By satisfying special conditions, the ‘Insight Lens’ skill is greatly strengthened..
‘Huh, the absorption is finally over.?’
It was absorbed from the ‘Eye of Horus Fragment No. 2’ that had been obtained not long ago..
therefore…….
[Skill information]
- Name: Insight Lens
- Grade: C
- effect
1) System analysis (2): Hidden ‘system information’ can be analyzed more deeply.
2) Clairvoyance: Vision is greatly improved.. (+400%)
* When you meet hidden conditions, your skill level improves..
1First, the system analysis skill has been improved to level 2 and the explanatory phrase ‘more deeply’ has been added..
'Well, I guess I'll have to write it down to find out to what extent.?’
And number 2, clairvoyance also improved from 300% to 400%..
‘Now that I think about it, I don’t really remember writing this.?’
This was because observation using ‘Hugin’ was much more effective..
At that time, the door to the Order Tower opened and Kim Se-hee came in..
"Boss, the guild members are ready to attack and are waiting. If you're ready, come out soon.."
Lee Hyun-wook stood up and stared at Kim Se-hee's head..
"huh? why? I got something on my head?”
Above her head... … Isn’t there some kind of letter that comes to mind??
- Player (LV：68)
‘Oh, now you can even see the player's level??’
1At this stage, I could only know the hidden information of the item and the level of the monster..
Additionally, information about the wind spirit 'Hani' sitting on her shoulder was also displayed..
- Intermediate Wind Spirit (LV). 68)
"Team Leader Kim, you will be level 70 in a little while.?”
"Oh, how did you know? did i say?”
"I just guessed it based on the amount of training these days..”
"Oh, is that possible? Because I’ve given up on math……."
Although it was only level-level information, it could be useful in many ways..
***
At the plaza at the entrance to Paldalsan Mountain, AMT troops were stationed there and guarding the area..
Meanwhile, a large number of reporters from home and abroad came and surrounded the area..
When Lee Hyun-wook appeared, spotlights and questions poured in from all over..
"Me, Mr. Lee Hyun-wook! Please take a moment to interview me.!”
"—Did DS's press conference yesterday influence your decision to attack??”
But he gave just one glance in that direction and then disappeared towards the mountain..
"and… … Are you really not even looking? Is it cool or is it not cheesy??”
"Okay, I guess I can just write an article about how upset I am about DS's interview.?"
However, Lee Hyun-wook's eyes were watching the reporters through 'Hugin' flying above the clouds..
‘……What is that bastard??’
To be precise, it was to monitor a very suspicious man hiding among the reporters..
- Player (LV. 81)
He was a level 81 player, which was obviously too high a level for a reporter..
In this way, the usefulness of the upgraded Insight Lens was discovered earlier than expected..
‘At that level, he is at the top level at the moment. In other words, it will be a disguised identity..’
Lee Hyun-wook launched Hugin and hacked the Mana Messenger while watching the man..
And about 10 minutes later, he heard strangers talking in his ears..
- Jenny, the scoop just arrived. Did you organize the article well??
- Yes, you can post right now.
- Okay, wait for the confirmation first, then you can use the ‘city vacuum cleaner’ prepared this time without any restrictions.?
- Well, I told you to use it as much as you want at the desk..
At first glance, it sounded like an ordinary conversation between seniors and juniors at a media company..
However, Hyunwook Lee caught one foreign word in the conversation..
‘wait for a sec… … I just said city cleaner.?’
In his memory, there was only one object with the bizarre name 'City Vacuum Cleaner'..
‘that… … It's the code name for the spirit colony bomb used by the villains.?’
After hearing that, the rather large truck they were riding caught my eye. A 5-ton truck neatly painted in black… … No matter how you look at it, it was a size that would not be suitable for media employees to ride around..
'Is there a city vacuum cleaner in there??'
The city vacuum cleaner was, more accurately, a kind of magical prison item that imprisoned a colony of top-level spirits. However, if you open or break it and let the angry spirits run amok, it has the same effect as a bomb..
Above all, the thing trapped inside the city vacuum cleaner was the ‘Earth Spirit’. In other words, when angry, it crushes and absorbs all the stones, dirt, and metal in the area, since these are all the components of a city.…….
'……Even a brief rampage can cause a catastrophe that causes buildings to collapse like sand castles..’
That terrible item was a monster created while researching spirits in.
However, at this point, alchemy was not a very promising field, and not long ago, the alchemy research complex in Gangdong-gu collapsed, cutting off the livelihood... … He probably took the money and handed it over to the villain..
Originally, it was released in the middle of Manhattan about two years later and devastated the world's greatest city center..
In other words, the reason why such a scary thing would be here now... … It wasn’t in Lee Hyun-wook’s memory..
- If you use this, there will be a party that you can never handle, no matter how 'he' is..
- Yes, when you come out after work and are exhausted, pop some champagne..
- And it's okay to make a little mess, right? From what I heard, the landlord is looking after your back..
‘Ha, look at these…….'
There was no need to worry deeply about who ‘he’ meant here. It was Lee Hyun-wook himself..
Apparently, the future was changed by Lee Hyun-wook and the use of that item also changed..
‘Well, if it were a city vacuum cleaner, it would suck up most of the metal weapons I use.…….'
In other words, it was Lee Hyun-wook’s hard counter item..
‘First of all, you said you would write it when I come out, right? I guess I'll have to change the usage once more.?’
First, after I finished conquering the labyrinth, I came up with a plan to safely hand over that great item..
‘If you don't explode it and appease the spirits inside, there are endless ways to use it..’
However, by attaching Hugin to them right before entering the labyrinth, I was able to obtain additional information..
- Once the cleaning begins, the landlord will also help indirectly..
- I think the landlord is more anxious than us.?
- That's right. I had no idea that my house would eventually collapse.?
‘hmm… … The landlord keeps being mentioned..’
In his previous life, Lee Hyun-wook worked in the Guardian Intelligence Department and tracked down villain organizations..
Therefore, I was able to roughly interpret several codes that are constantly mentioned here..
‘Here, the landlord or host often refers to an internal collaborator..’
In other words, it meant that there was someone in this country who cooperated with them..
Whoever it was, it had some degree of prominence..
However, I just didn't have a chance to process it.…….
‘If this happens... … I had to unintentionally do some cleaning with water.?’
Comments